Why Proclaim God's Word?- Part 1

Proclaiming God's Word to others is not just an activity for pastors, evangelists, and missionaries.  It is the responsibility and privilege of everyone who has been saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 

In II Timothy 4:2, Paul instructs Timothy to preach or proclaim the Word.  In the surrounding verses, I find several compelling reasons we must do this as well.

1. We must proclaim God's Word because it makes us wise unto salvation. 3:15
- Knowing how to be saved from his sin is the single most important piece of knowledge a person can have.  This knowledge can be gained in a number of books.  However, every book that shares this knowledge has the same source- the Bible.  Paul said that the Scriptures made Timothy "wise unto salvation."  Since God's Word is our source of information about the salvation of souls, we must be sharing it, the Word, with others.  In the 21st century, people have a lot of sources of information: television, the internet, magazines, movies, radio, books, other people.  Most of these sources do not present God's Word.  Will we do our part in sharing it with them and thereby allow them to hear the truth about salvation?

2. We must proclaim God's Word because God gave it. 3:16a
- When we hear some information that sounds dubious, we often will say, "Consider the source."  The accuracy of information is often measured by the validity of the source.  In the passage, Paul states that Scripture is given by inspiration of God.  The source of the Bible is not the human authors who penned the words.  The source of the Bible is Almighty God himself.  I know that my God is without flaw, therefore I am confident that the Word that He has given is completely reliable.  As we talk to others about salvation or any other spiritual topic, our validity is only as good as our source.  If God's Word is our source, we can confidently proclaim the truth knowing it is God's Word, not ours.

3. We must proclaim God's Word because it is beneficial to man. 3:16b-17
- I believe God's primary purpose in giving His Word was to reveal Himself to us, not simply to help man live his life.  However, the accompanying truths are unquestionably a benefit.  Paul wrote that the Scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.  He said that God's Word applied to a man's life will result in that man being complete and prepared for good works.  I think everyone would agree that doing something for someone else is very rewarding.  We enjoy sharing helpful information and doing helpful things.  By instructing about salvation and giving principles about every aspect of life, God's Word has the potential to aid others, yet noone will be benefited unless they hear it.  The only way they will hear it is if we will proclaim it.

Which of these reasons to share God's Word do you find the most compelling?